As part of Queensland Reds Indigenous Program, four St. George Queensland Reds players visited the Aboriginal & Islander Independent Community School in Acacia Ridge on Thursday 15 November to talk to students about career pathways as part of the Future Dreams Junior Career Expo.

Reds players Saia Faingaa, Nick Frisby, Aidan Toua, and UJ Seuteni and Queensland Reds Indigenous Program managers Leaf Bennet and Kiel Williams-Weigel, sat down with students from the school and discussed what job opportunities exist within professional sport both on and off the field.

The players shared their career and life experiences outside of Rugby including schooling, university, and work in the family business while the Queensland Rugby staff discussed how the Reds as a professional organisation requires many support staff from commercial executives through to development offices and coaches to function.

One of the Reds player ambassadors of the Indigenous Program Saia Faingaa said he hoped students found the careers day beneficial.

“The Future Dreams Junior Career Expo provided the opportunity for our program managers to showcase plenty of interesting job options and careers available after completing school to the students,” Faingaa said.

“To make the experience more interesting for the kids we also shared our experiences of finishing school, our first jobs and what life’s like as professional athletes and answered plenty of questions.

“By educating kids on what’s out there and opening their eyes to interesting career paths, we hope that it will encourage them to take the next steps to follow their dreams.”

Indigenous program manager Kiel Williams-Weigel heads up the education and employment aspect of the program and says that days such as these are great for students to take a look at a wide variety of career opportunities.

“Career expo’s are a great way for organisations such as ours to engage with Indigenous youth because while the kids get to experience and take a look at a wide range of careers on offer, we also get to talk to them one on one and give some great advice that could really help them down the track,” Williams-Weigel said.

“Queensland Reds Indigenous Program aims to provide the Indigenous youth with the right tools to succeed in education and employment and days like today help to inspire these kids and hopefully give them some direction for the future.”

The program also aims to create sustainable opportunities for Indigenous communities and operates under the three key pillars of community engagement, education and employment, and growth and sustainability.